The Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB have been waiting with bated breath for the Chiba Lotte Marines to officially post Roki Sasaki ever since the Nippon Professional Baseball team announced their intention to do so this offseason.
The Marines’ announcement came back on Nov. 9, but they have held off on officially posting Sasaki so far. This led to the assumption that the NPB organization was going to wait to make the young right-hander available until he would be eligible for the 2025 international signing period, which resets the bonus pools of every team.
That assumption becomes increasingly likely with each day that passes, if not a guarantee at this point. But according to international reporter Francys Romero, Sasaki’s posting is likely to come after the Winter Meetings in Dallas:
Japanese ace Roki Sasaki should be officially posted after the Winter Meetings, per sources.
The deadline to be posted is December 15.
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) November 27, 2024
The annual Winter Meetings bring representatives of all 30 teams from MLB and their Minor League affiliates together to discuss league business. It is also a popular time for teams to conduct off-season trades and sign free agents.
The meetings take place from Dec. 8-12, and the 2024 international signing period runs until Dec. 15.
Once Sasaki is posted, there will be a 45-day window for interested clubs to negotiate and sign him.
The key date for Sasaki’s posting is Dec. 1. If he is posted by that day, he could only sign during the 2024 international signing period because his window would expire before the 2025 international signing period begins on Jan. 15.
If he’s posted between Dec. 2-15, he could sign in either period, but he would only have until the 2024 international signing period closed on Dec. 15 to negotiate for that period.
Due to the Marines benefiting more by Sasaki signing in the 2025 period, it’s likely they decide to post him on Dec. 16 or later. Once Sasaki is signed, the Marines will be paid 20% of the value of the contract by the signing team.
As it stands, the Dodgers have the most remaining pool money for the 2024 international signing period at $2,502,500. They are tied for the least for the 2025 period at $5,146,200.
MLB willing to investigate potential tampering for Roki Sasaki
The Dodgers have been considered to be the favorites to sign Sasaki throughout the process with some speculating the two sides already had a deal in place after former NPB teammate Dallas Keuchel noted there essentially was a handshake agreement in place..
There is no evidence that suggests the Dodgers have secretly worked out a deal with the 23-year-old, but MLB is closely monitoring the situation for all teams negotiating with Sasaki and are willing to investigate any potential wrongdoing.
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